| "Skittery! What a wonderful surprise! What brings you here?" exclaimed Ginger. "Er....well I was uh...in da neighberhood and I thought I should come and say hi." replied Skittery. "Oh nice one Skittery...you sound so fake." he said to himself. Ginger looked like she believed it. "Oh! Hehe, wonderful! Come on in!" Before he knew it Skittery was stepping into the huge foyer of her home. He looked around in awe. Everywhere were chandaleirs, fancy furniture, and long hall ways and spiraling stairs. Skittery followed Ginger down the hall way and into a parlor. They both sat down on the sofa. "Hm, I wonder where Elizabeth is?" pondered Skittery. "Oh, she's out with my parents. They shouldn't be back for a while." replied Ginger. Skittery could have hit himself in the face. He wasn't thinking that, he said it! Skittery was having a wonderful time getting to know Ginger. She herself was fascinated as he told her how his days always were. "And then Elizabeth was enraged when I had gotten her blouse dirty! It was hilarious!" Skittery and Gingerlaughed. Skitty could just imagine Elizabeth's screwed up face turning red like a tomato. There was an awkward silence, and both of them looked down into their hands, fiddling with their fingers. Suddenly Skittery said, "Uh...Ginger?" she looked up. He gazed into her eyes. Skittery leaned in and they shared a passionate kiss. When he drew back, she seemed shocked, but pleased. "I'd really like it if yeh could come an' visit me and meet da guys ova at da loddgin' house sometime." said Skittery. Ginger smiled. "I'd-" Just then a man's voice boomed out, "OH GINGER! WE'RE HOME!" Then came a soft woman's voice calling, "Ginger dear, I bought you a parasol! Where are you?" Ginger's face flooded with fear. "Oh dear! Skittery! If my father finds you in here he'll be furious! Hurry! Use the fire escape!" Skittery jumped through the window and turned around to say goodbye. Before he could Ginger kissed his cheek and closed the window. He grinned and ran down the fire escape. "Ginger, dear! Why on earth do you look so flustered?" said Ginger's mother. Ginger looked around nervously. "Nothing! The parlor's is awful warm. I think I'll go to my room now!" She fled up the stairs and into her room. She locked the door behind her and sighed. She heaved a sigh and closed her eyes still leaning against the door. She felt butterflies in her stomach after Skittery had kissed her. She flopped down onto her bed and put her hands under her head, staring at the ceiling. That day was definitely one of the best days of her life. Skittery flopped down onto his bed and put his hands under his head. He stared up at the bunk above him. Yup, that was was defnitely one of the best days of his life! ---------------------- The next morning Skittery whistled Carrying the Banner while he was walking down the street. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. It was a lovely day. He saw a little girl who had dropped her doll. He picked it up, bent down to her level and said, "Heah ya go, lil goil." She took it and smiled. She was all dolled up like Ginger. She must be rich as well. He smiled back at her. Then she was snatched away by her mother. Skittery looked up at her and stood up. As she was dragged away by her mother, he heard her being lectured. "Now, honey, you know not to associate with riff raff like that! We upperclass people do not speak to street rats like him! Understand?" "Yes, mommy." Suddenly, a pang went through Skittery. That little girl's mother was right. How could he have been so stupid? He couldn't be with Ginger! She was of the upperclass! And he was a lowly street rat. A Newsie. He was treated like dirt. He hit himself in the head for being so stupid. Ginger didn't like him. Of course not! She probably thought he was a loser. He saw the shock in her eyes when he kissed her. Stupid stupid Skittery! He scowled at the shining sun and the noisy birds. He set off to Medda's to make himself feel better. --------------------- Ginger meanwhile, was singing to herself as she sat in front of her mirror. She combed her curly hair and let it down. She put on a white blouse and a swishy pink skirt, like Skittery's shirt. She couldn't stop thinking about him. She had made up her mind to go and visit him at the lodging house like he had asked. Besides, she wanted to meet all his friends he kept on talking about. "Sigh...it must be great to be a newsboy. To be able to do whatever you want to do, to spend time with your friends day in and day out. Skittery doesn't know how lucky he is." Satisfied with herself, she nodded at herself in the mirror,straightened her blouse, grabbed her purse and waltzed out the door. ---------------------- Meanwhile at Medda's, Skittery was in the "other" room. He was "getting to know" a gorgeous blonde in a frilly purple dress. "Yup, this is the way to forget Ginger. She's probably forgotten alllll about you! It's back to the old life of fooling around with girls at Medda's with you!" -------------------- "Hello there! Can I help you?" asked an old man sitting at the lodging house desk. "Yes, does Skittery stay here?" inquired the auburn haired beauty. "Hm...Skittery. Have any of you boys seen Skittery?" called Kloppman. "Yeh! He went down to Medda's!" replied a boy in an eye patch. Ginger thanked them for their help and walked to Irving Hall. Meanwhile Skittery was still making out with the beautiful girl and guilty pangs kept on going through him. As if this wasn't the right thing to do but he had no choice. "SKITTERY?!?!?!?!" Next |